Turning Point
by MrsSmithySmith
Summary: Missing end scene between Tony and Ziva from Canary.


**Tag to Canary & Hereafter.**

**Synopsis: Missing end scene between Tony and Ziva from Canary. I'm aware of the turning point between Tony and Ziva being in Hereafter, but I am putting it in a missing scene from Canary in this fic.**

**I'm dedicating this fic to Niki (no-im-not-going-without-you) over on tumblr, because I loves her so much. My little biscuit.**

**Pairing: Tony D & Ziva D.**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimed.**

* * *

Nothing short of an earthquake could wipe the smug and pleased look on Anthony DiNozzo's face. Khan had finally confessed the IP address that he used to track the elusive #No1 cyber terrorist MC, after the entire MCRT had created a set-up in DC's detention centre.

Tony and Ziva had constructed an in-flight interrogation to Gitmo, to get Ajay Khan to talk. It wasn't until the team had orchestrated a fake 'security breach' in the prison, with Tony getting shot and Kevin the tech guy using his improvisational comedy skills, that Khan fessed up.

The satisfaction hadn't left the team yet, in particular Tony. Call it a successful day.

Back at the Navy Yard, long after booking Khan and getting the paperwork written up, Tony had finally managed to slip away to change his jeans, and clean off the fake blood. Once he returned to the bullpen, he noticed how empty it was. The quick search of the squadroom rendered the partner search unsuccessful, until he checked around the opposite side of the stairs; and there in the corner was one Ziva David.

"Hey, here you are." She looks up just as he sits beside her; "What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

Tony stretches his legs out in front of him; "About?"

"The Director. All that has happened to him the past few weeks."

He nodded in an unspoken agreement with her. It's been a horrible couple of weeks. "Yeah."

She took a deep breath as she turned to look at him; "The Director told Gibbs that Mrs Vance had cancer."

"I know."

"He didn't deserve to lose Jackie, and it was my fault."

He shuffled towards her and gave her a disagreeing look. "It was not your fault. There was nothing you could've done, Ziva... Besides, Vance isn't the only one who lost someone that day."

She nodded and tried to shove that painful and fresh memory to the back of her mind. "True. But neither Vance nor Jackie did anything wrong. They were innocent, Tony. Jackie was murdered because someone came after my father. If he had not asked the Director to join Shabbat then-"

"Jackie would still be dead. She had cancer Ziva. Three weeks to live." She sighed and raised a hand to her forehead. "Quit blaming yourself."

"It's in my nature."

"Mine too. But I'm not blaming myself for what happened, neither should you."

She huffed and hugged her knees to chest, crossing her arms over her knees, resting her head on top. "Am I destined to be alone?"

The silence is long and deafening and it's not until Ziva moves to get up murmuring the words 'forget it' that Tony grabs her arm and pulls her back down. "You're not destined to be alone."

"Then why do all my relationships fail, Tony!?" She took in a sharp breath and bunched the fabric of her cargos in her hands and dug her nails into her flesh.

"Not all your relationships failed, Ziva; and the reasons for the others failing were _not you_."

She shook her head; "Does not feel that way... No-one here finds love and even when they do it is taken from them."

"We don't have time for relationships." He admits sadly.

"But Vance made the time. Jimmy has made time. What is our excuse?" He does agree with her. What is their excuse for not finding stable relationships outside of work?

He shrugs briefly whilst shaking his head; "I don't know. Going for the wrong people?"

"Or forcing ourselves to believe the wrong people are the right ones?" They both silently agree to drop that conversation, when they feel the awkward tension begin to rise. It's not exactly a conversation to be had really.

"Hey. You remember, in Paris... that morning we woke up-"

"Tony, we agreed not to talk about it."

He straightened up and continued on in a determined voice; "No... We agreed to pretend it never happened; but I don't want to pretend anymore." He rubbed his thighs as he turned to face her. "Do you realise, how good that felt?"

"Tony." She gave a weak voice of protest, knowing full well where the conversation was heading. It always heads in this direction, but they always fall short of the mark before true honesty hits them.

"How long I've prayed for another opportunity to do it again."

"You want me in your bed, Tony?" He briefly looked her up and down to fit the joke she set up before being serious again.

"I want you, Ziva." His eyes pierced hers, open and honest and it scared the crap out of Ziva at what she saw in them.

She fleetingly touched his chest in apology; "We-we can't. Gibbs-"

"I don't care about his rules. I just know I can't keep sitting at my desk across from you another day without being able to have you in my arms when I leave this place every night."

"You don't mean that." She shook her head and tried to push back the tears she felt burning the backs of her eyes.

He immediately raises his hand to cup her cheek when she tries to turn away and gently caresses her skin with his thumb. "No I do. More than anything."

Her eyes bore into his, doe eyes filled with tears that struggled to stay at bay staring into soft green ones. "Why now?"

He sends her a small smile as he brushes a stray tear on her cheek; "I want to be honest with you."

"I am damaged Tony." She pulled her knees back up to her chest and played with fabric of her cargos, pulling at the buttoned pockets on her lower thighs.

"No. You have baggage. So do I."

"How can you be sure this would work?" The slight panic creeping into her voice made Ziva want to mentally slap herself for sounding so defeatist and unsure.

"Because I know you, I know us." He moves his hand down from her cheek and grabs her hand which rests against her knees. "You know I would never ever hurt you. I'll be everything you need me to be and more. I'm your partner, I've got your back."

She turned her hand in his and slowly laced her fingers through his experimentally. It was strange how normal it felt; Tony and Ziva are far from hand holders, but as he squeezed her hand, the feeling of how right it was wouldn't leave her.

She couldn't help but feel like maybe this was the sliver of light to guide her in a happier direction that she had been looking for; and as she slowly closed the distance between them and attached her lips to his, she truly believed there would be better times ahead for her, all because of the one man in her life who clawed his way into her heart and refused to leave.


End file.
